Who doesn't picture online stores in their head when they think about selling online ? Whether they are large, medium or small, this is the most common way to have a sales business.
Having an online store has great advantages, such as the linkedin database professionalism it denotes and the automation when customers place orders : product selection, payments and, in many cases, the information provided to buyers.
It is common, on the other hand, for online business projects to start without having an online store as such, but selling through other platforms . Let's see which ones:
Selling through social networks
Social networks, with their entertainment and inspirational content and millions of users , are the perfect virtual common spaces when it comes to selling online.
On networks like Facebook and Instagram you can create a product catalogue , although if you don't have an online store, you will have to manage orders yourself, talking to customers.
Selling through marketplaces
Marketplaces offer an excellent alternative for selling in crowded virtual places without having to resort to your own online store.
This way of selling online has great advantages, such as the recognition of the marketplace, the positioning and the reliability it offers both to associated companies and to end customers.
However, they can also have their drawbacks, such as competition from companies offering similar products, which may grab a larger market share or compete on price. In addition, the marketplace does not provide the greatest freedom when presenting the products, and profit margins will be lower.
Selling through affiliation
Affiliate marketing is a great way to take advantage of a large and loyal audience built on social media or blogs. It involves selling products from other online stores and receiving a commission for each order.
Are you intrigued by the topic of affiliate marketing? You can't miss this post by IceCream in which they give all the keys.
As you can see, it is possible to sell online without having a store, although this offers more limited possibilities and is reserved more for product testing, additional sales methods to your own channels or for getting started.
If you want to build your own brand, go far with your online store and have full control, we recommend that you develop your online store . You can create it yourself taking into account our recommendations in this post (link how to create your online store) or you can count on the professionals at IceCream Marketing Shop .